The Promise
by Michael The-Zorch Haney
Summary: Stange things are happening at Hinata Sou. Keitaro is having horrible nightmares and waking dreams of a place he has never seen. Something evil has awakened deep within the abandoned annex. The new tenant, a young lolita goth name Aria could be the key to it all. Sidestory to "Beneath A Crimson Sky" set 5 years prior to the beginning of the saga.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer**_

 _All characters under copyright in this derivative work are used according to Fair Use as described in Sections 107-118 of the US Copyright Act of 1971. This derivative work is offered as-is for free, no copyright infringement was intended in the making of this derivative work. All copyrighted characters are the property of their respective companies. This derivative work is under Creative Commons Sharealike Noncommercial Unported License 3.0._

 _Created using Google Docs._

Michael "TheZorch" Haney

" **The Promise"**

 _A "Beneath a Crimson Sky" Sidestory_

 **Somewhere in Osaka**

 **Five Years Before Ranma's Arrival in Nerima**

The establishment was old, one of the last few remnants of what used to be a grand shopping arcade from a more prosperous time. Back then it was a bar, today it was a sit down western style pizzeria. Twelve men sat at a large table near the back of the dimly lit eatery. Each one had come from a different part of the country, each spoke to the young greeter at the door, and she showed each of them to the table in the back. They knew each other, some hadn't seen one another in years, but they talked very little. The invitation to this get together had come suddenly, there was only an address with a date and time. Ordinarily they wouldn't have come, but on the invitation was drawn a particular kind of small flower. One they all knew well.

"It has been a very long time." one of the men decided to speak. They'd grown nervous over the years, almost paranoid. There was a time when each considered one another closer than a brother. He wore classes and had a disheveled look about him. He wore a long coat, the weather lately had been cold in this part of Japan.

Another man nodded, "Yes it has." He was blonde with green eyes and wore a fancy white leather jacket and an expensive watch on his wrist.

They sat there still in silence, each one looking around as if expecting something. After about five minutes another man brought his fist down on the table. This made all of them jump, a few reached into their coats as if to pull out a weapon of some kind. A couple of others look like they were about to jump up and run.

"Damn it all, what the hell has become of us." the man lamented. He had a thick beard, wore a black trench coat under which he had a shirt and tie. He looked around at everyone at the table, they wouldn't meet his gaze. Smoke wafted up from the burning cigarette clenched in his fist.

"Look at us, you'd think we were strangers rather than a band of brothers who haven't so much as spoken to one another in ten years." he folded his arms, took a long drag on his cigarette.

"Twenty one." said another man, he was the youngest looking one at the table. He was bald and wore an informal dark grey men's kimono.

"What?"

"Twenty one, it has been twenty one years Kano not ten." the young man bowed his head respectfully as he corrected the other.

"You were always bad with years," the man in the white leather jacket chuckled. "You'd forget your own age if you didn't have us to remember for you." A chuckle rose from the rest at the table, they all seemed to be more at ease now.

"So, what's this all about?" the one in the kimono put his invitation on the table. All of the men looked at one another questioningly.

"What do you mean, Hikaru, I thought you were the one who sent these out." the man in white leather replied showing his invitation.

"Tenha, I thought you did." Kano said to him, now looking very concerned.

"I called this gathering."

All eyes turned to the speaker, she was a child of about 13 or 14 years old. The most striking thing about her was her almost otherworldly beauty. Her silvery, snow white hair hung down to her waist, and she wore a frilly black and white lolita goth dress that made her look like a porcupine victorian doll. All of the men stood and bowed with deep respect.

"Most holy one," Kano spoke a bit loudly, his face a mask of jubilation.

"We are in public, gentlemen." she walked around the table and climbed into one of the vacant chairs next to him. Kano and the rest took their seats. Then, he took a moment to calm himself.

"It's, it's just that we haven't seen you in so long." he told her, in a more hushed tone. The rest of them all nodded in near unison. It had indeed been a long time.

The little girl looked at them, her eyes passing over each one. "All of you are here, good." she said.

"Of course we're here, your symbol is on the invitation," Hikaru lifted his from the table. "We could never refuse a call to gather in your divine name." Again the men all nodded in agreement.

The child smiled, "These past two decades could not have been easy for you." All of them nodded, it has been rather rough for all of them.

"But, you have done your sworn duty, watched over our people or at least those we were able to save." she continued. A look of anguish came to the faces of the gathered men.

"The burden you have all carried has been great." she reached out and put her hand on Tenha's, he was wiping tears from his eyes.

"Not as great as yours, holy Aria." he replied softly, his voice cracking. She gently patted his hand as the man tried to compose himself.

"You have waited patiently for so long, but that wait will soon be over." Aria reassured him. All the faces at the table suddenly brightened.

"How?" Hikaru asked in astonishment. "Where in this world could you found a spiritual place that was pure enough?" The question raised murmurs. Aria raised a hand calling them to silence.

"Or clean enough, these people, they dirty their world with no care about what their pollution does to the energies that keep them and all life on this planet alive." said Kano with clear disgust.

"They don't understand such things, dear Kano." she touch his cheek. Kano reverently took her hand and gently kissed her palm. She smiled at that and he blushed.

"As for where, it is best that remain a secret known only to me," she told them. "The less you know the safer all of you will be." Everyone had a look of concern.

"I thought the enemy had stopped looking." Kano said to her, his face stirn. Everyone else murmured much the same.

"They have the silver embrasure," she explained sadly. "As long as its flame burns they will never stop searching." The look of concern on their faces turned to one of hard resolve.

"What of the tree?" Tenha asked, now recovered and looking anxious.

"It grows strong, it has not yet taken root, but I have a plan for that." she explained.

Kano started with surprise, "Wait, does this mean that he…"

"Yes, you have all quietly done your duty without complaint for so long, now your wait will soon be over." They all cheered and clapped, a few of the men even hugged one another such was their glee.

"Then, he's coming back." said Kano.

"Soon, in at least two weeks." she promised.

They quieted as the greeter came to their table. She bowed and profusely apologized for taking so long to take their order, their waitress had to leave due to an emergency and they were shorthanded. It was then that she noticed Aria sitting at the table, she didn't remember seeing such a pretty little girl walk in through the front door. She was very much into lolita goth and would have clearly remembered her.

"Oh my, you are so adorable." she blushed.

Turning to Kano she asked, "Is she your daughter?"

Kano shook his head. "They're my uncles, it's my birthday today." Aria said sounding perfectly the part of an innocent young girl.

The greeter looked rather astonished, her gazed moved around the table. "All of you?"

"It's a big family." Hikaru smiled and every one at the tabled nodded and made a sound of agreement. It took the greeter a moment to recover, then she pulled out a pen and pad of paper.

"What will you be having today?"

"Three extra large supremes with garlic butter stuffed crusts, hold the anchovies." said Kano.

"And, what will you gentlemen be drinking?"

Kano looked around the table, he already knew the answer. "Draft beer all around."

"And for the cute birthday girl?"

Aria said sweetly, "I'd like a Shirley Temple, please."

The greeter gushed, "Oh my god she's so adorable! I'll make sure they put the cherry on top, ok." Aria smiled and nodded happily then the greeter quickly left to turn in their order.

"Two weeks you said," Kano spoke quietly as soon as the greeter was gone. "You need us to do anything in preparation?" Aria shook her head.

"No, everything is already in place, there is just one thing left that I'll need your assistance with." she told him.

Kano nodded, "I am yours to command, most holy."

 **Two days later in Hinata, Kanagawa Prefecture**

Haruka Urashima hung the noren curtain over the entrance to the Hinata Cafe. It was a sign that the coffee house was open for business. Not that she was expecting too many visitors seeing as it wasn't a weekend and it was early autumn. Come Friday through to Sunday the place would be bustling with people coming to visit the warm waters of the hot springs. Right now, she'd be lucky if one of the locals came in for a cup or two. The hot spring resort town saw the most tourists during the winter.

Her thoughts were more concerned with what was happening at the top of the hill where Hinata Sou stood. The old inn had seen better days. It was no longer the popular gathering place for couples it used to be. According to legend, any couples that staying in the annex overnight were fated to stay together forever. A landslide years ago damaged the annex and the bridge connecting it. Today it was condemned, and the only one who knew what was there was on a long, well deserved vacation.

That wasn't what worried Haruka. It was Keitaro, her adopted cousin and nephew. For the past few days the girls expressed some concerns. It wasn't that he was doing something wrong, it was that he simply wasn't himself. Even he wasn't sure why when she approached him to find out what was wrong. He was having strange nightmares, one night he woke up screaming and it took Naru, Motoko, and Shinobu almost a half-hour to finally calm him down. After Shinobu gave him some warm milk to help him get back to sleep Naru stayed in his room to make sure he was ok before going back to her room. She wished Grandma Hina was back.

"Excuse me, are you open?"

"Yes, please come in." Haruka moved to greet her customer. He was a tall bearded man wearing a suit and tie under a large black trench coat.

"I have a wide selection all made from freshly ground and dry roasted beans," she offered him a menu. "I also have a small selection of local pastries if you like." The man shook his head and held up a newspaper clipping. It was the ad she put out in the paper advertising a room for rent at Hinata Sou. The building needed money for repairs and that meant bringing in new tenants. The cafe wasn't bringing in enough at the moment to supplement the costs.

"I'm sorry, Hinata Sou is a women's only dormitory." she explained, but the man just shook his head.

"It isn't for me, madam, it is for my daughter." the most heart stoppingly gorgeous little girl stepped out from behind him. She had to be around Shinobu's age. Her hair was white as a virgin snow fall. What struck Haruka the most was her dress, she wore a beautiful black and red lolita goth outfit with a short skirt that ended mid-thigh. Below that she wore black stockings with small red ribbons along the top. She looked like she belonged on the cover of a young teen idol magazine.

"My wife and I have to go overseas for our work," the man explained. "We'll be in the middle east working under the protect of the American military, so as you might expect we're very reluctant to take her with us, but at the same time we need to be sure she'll be well taken care of in our absence. We have no other living relatives we can leave her with, unfortunately."

"You have nothing to worry about," Haruka reassured him. "We have two beautiful young ladies around her age in residence now, and they both do quite well here." The three older girls who lived in Hinata Sou at first didn't seem like the reliable types to take care of children. Kaolla sort of took care of herself most of the time, though due to her nightmares she slept with Motoko rather than in her own room. Which the Molmol princess and technological genius had turned into a tropical paradise complete with rivers and lakes. Shinobu's situation was different, her parents were in the middle of a rather lengthy and unpleasant divorce. They were both using her against one another, so the girls stepped in and "convinced" her parents to let her stay with them. Shinobu ruled the kitchen, her mom ran a restaurant and she herself was an incredible cook.

"You hear that honey, you won't be the only little girl living here." the man turned to his daughter. She took his hand and smiled sweetly.

"That's wonderful father." she said sounding sweet and innocent, while also very proper. Haruka had the impression that this young lady was rather well behaved, she'd be a good influence on the older girls of Hinata Sou. She thought for a moment about the situation with Keitaro, but the inn needed money.

"You should know, while Hinata Sou is for girl's only, there is one male resident," she explained. "The inn's manager, he's the grandson of the owner and my relative. I can assure you he's dependable and will be safe around your daughter." She was a bit concerned that some people might not like the idea of one guy living in a place full of girls. Keitaro wasn't a pervert by any stretch of the imagination, he was just clumsy and had an unnatural tendency to get himself into embarrassing situations. Luckily, he was also uncannily very resilient otherwise the beatings he regularly got from Naru and Motoko would put an ordinary man in the hospital.

The man nodded showing no sign of concern. "That is good to hear, I feel safer knowing a strong depending young man will be around to protect my little Aria." Haruka stifled a sigh of relief, she was expecting a different reaction.

"Aria, is it," Haruka bent to address the young girl. "My name is Haruka, if you're going to stay with us you'll be seeing me around rather often."

"How soon do you want her to be able move in?" Haruka straightened up and asked her father.

"My wife and I are booked for a flight from the American military based on Okinawa on Friday, so as soon as possible would be the best thing." It was Tuesday, the room Haruka advertised was essentially ready now.

"The room is ready for occupancy today, but we'll need the first months rent of ¥16,856 yen and a security deposit of the same amount." the man went to the counter and took out a checkbook. Haruko told him to make it out to the inn. Moments later Haruka had a check in hand for ¥33,712. The name on the check was Kano Tenkawa and the issuing bank was the same one the inn had an account with.

"Thank you, this takes a huge load off of my mind." the father said.

He looked down at his daugher and patted her on the head. "We'll be back tomorrow, my wife will be happy to have her one more night before we have to leave for Okinawa." She had some idea what the man was going through. Shinobu's parents were also saddened at the idea of leaving their little girl behind, but in her case it was better for all of them she was out of the picture while they dealt with their marital issues.

Kano and Aria walked hand in hand out of the cafe and down the sloping street. They kept walking until they were well enveloped into the perpetual mist caused the local hot springs. There were few people milling about, except a group of old men spouting strange phrases.

"Was that suitable, holy one?" he asked.

"Kano, I always said you made a better actor than you do a warrior." Aria smiled.

Kano chuckled, "I guess that's why they call me the Sword Poet." Then his expression hardened.

"Did you feel that?" he asked her. "There is something emanating immense power from that place, is it really safe here for the both of you?" Aria squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"No need to worry, noble Kano." she said.

She turned to look back at the old inn on top of the hill. "What dwells there is no threat to me, or him." she added. Kano nodded accepting her words.

"Two weeks, no sooner?" she shook her head.

"No, too quickly and it might harm him," she explained. "This is something he must ease into and I must be there when it is finally done." Kano nodded in understanding.

"The Twelve will be ready to respond to your call whenever you need us, holy one." he bowed to her reverently.

"Let us go, I have some preparation of my own to make before moving in." Aria said and lead Kano down the misty street.

 **To Be Continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

See Chapter 1 for Copyright Fair Use Disclaimer

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 **Chapter 2**

The old inn looked much bigger up close. Hinata-sou stood here on top of the mountain more than one hundred years. The architecture was archaically Japanese with generous use of thick, stout wooden beams, and even some of the glass panes looked original. The building overall, however, looked to be in serious need of repairs. How it hadn't been declared condemned ages ago, Aria wasn't sure.

Her "father" stood at her side, the look on his face told her he had misgivings about this place too. Now that they were closer to the building, the feeling they had the other day was much stronger.

"A dark shadow falls over this place," said Kano. He had a grim look on his face.

Aria nodded, "It is ancient magic, and perhaps a curse...and something else." There was something more here but she couldn't quite sense what it was.

"Is this really a good idea, holy one?" asked Kano, who kept his voice low.

Aria shook her head, "There is no choice, this is the time and I must be here when it happens."

She reached out and touched the man's arm, "I am not that powerless, you need not fear, noble Kano." That seemed to reassure him. With renewed resolve, they entered Hinata-sou. Aria immediately felt the transition, there was a protective barrier around the inn, a powerful one. Its creation would have required considerable skill in magic, the purpose of the barrier seemed to be to suppress whatever darkness permeated this place. This was of no natural origin, someone consciously created this barrier...and they were maintaining it.

"Interesting," she breathed, Kano apparently picked up on what she meant as he nodded in agreement.

"WELCOME!"

There came the pop of a confetti ball and everyone Aria assumed was the current residents of the inn cheered her and Kano as they stepped into the entry hall. The woman Aria already knew as Haruka was there. The rest were all girls, except one. Her eyes went straight to his and she nearly burst out in tears. But, she caught herself...it wasn't time yet. She noticed Kano looking at him too and doing his best to hide his emotions.

"That's quite the reception, thank you." Kano smiled, still playing his part.

"Well, it isn't every day we get a new roommate." the girl who spoke was perhaps eighteen to twenty-something. She was very pretty, not the prettiest of the older girls, but definitely a beauty. Her light brown hair was long, hanging down to her waist. Two locks on the top of her head formed that looked like a pair an antenna. Aria did not like the aura this girl was giving off, she didn't appear to have any powers but there was something about this girl Aria knew she wasn't going to like. Strong vibrations in her aura suggested she was easy to provoke to anger.

"My name is Naru, Naru Narusegawa." the girl walked up and shook Kano's hand.

The others appeared to have been waiting for Naru to break the ice as they all now came forward to introduce themselves. There were two other older girls, Mitsune Konno was by far the most well endowed of the three. Aria felt a strong flirtatious aura around her and she was definitely beautiful. Where Naru leaned heavily on the cute side of the spectrum, Mitsune was on the sexy and sultry side especially when her short cropped girl. Her accent was unmistakably Osakan. Vibration in her aura also suggested the girl was also something of a freeloader.

The third of the older girls was someone Aria knew though the last time they met she was just a child. Aria was well acquainted with the Aoyama clan, the practitioners of the sacred Shinmei-Ryu demon slaying kendo style. Motoko was Tsuruko's little sister, and she was growing up to be just as stunningly beautiful. The girl wore a formal kimono as expected from a young lady brought up by such a noble family, though Aria was confused as to why she was living here and not back in the Aoyama estate. She decided to inquire about that later. There seemed something usually chaotic in the girl's aura as if she were unsure of her feelings.

The other two girls who living in Hinata-sou were much younger. They were Shinobu Maehara and a foreign girl named Kaolla Su. They were both young teenagers of middle school age. Shinobu radiated a gentle, caring, and dependable aura. Aria wouldn't be surprised if the other girls all depended on her, something in her aura also told Aria the girl might also be something of a chef. There was a certain vibration to her aura when she was near Keitaro. The little girl had a crush on him, a strong one.

Finally, Aria's attention came to the last of the girls. Kaolla Su's accent screamed Molmol and her aura was powerful and energetic. She was pretty hyperactive, yet Aria could tell there was definitely something behind her overly cheerful demeanor. She was similar in age to Shinobu, but whereas Shinobu was simply cute Kaolla was an exotic beauty. Her skin was a creamy brown, her hair near platinum blond, and her seifuku top seemed made deliberately to short to show off a generous midriff. In just two or three years, Aria suspected, this girl was going to be a heartbreaker. There was also something else, yet another thing Aria decided to look into later.

"Alright now, settle down everyone," Haruka, clearly the one who was really in charge spoke up. "Kei, why don't you show her and her father where she's going to be staying." The young man in question nearly stumbled over his own feet as he came forward.

"Sure, Mr. Tenkawa your daughter's room is right above Shinobu's," he said to Kano, then he turned towards her. At that moment, there was recognition in his eyes. It was brief, then he started to fall. Before the girls could react Kano caught him, then Keitaro seemed to recover as if nothing happened.

"Sorry, I guess those late night studying sessions finally caught up with me." Keitaro blushed.

"I'm trying to get into Toudai," he explained, now looking embarrassed. Kano let him go now that it appeared he could stand on his own two feet.

Kano clapped him on the shoulder, "Ah, I remember those days. Wish I could still pull all-nighters like that!" Aria could see the strain in Kano's features, the man was doing an incredible job of keeping his emotions in check, but just barely.

"What was I saying," Keitaro turned towards her and now it was her turn to keep her emotions in check. "Oh, yeah, Aria, you're room is the one right above Shinobu's." Hinata-sou had once been a hotel, an inn actually, so the rooms were very spacious. They were two large spaces separated by sliding shoji doors. There was already some furniture in the room. A large wardrobe cabinet and kotatsu table and a few cushions. One wall was made into a bookshelf in the first room.

"We don't have spare beds, but we do have plenty of clean futon mats and extra linen and comforters," Keitaro explained as he showed them the room. Aria liked the feel of the room, perhaps because it was so close to Shinobu some of her calming aurae seemed to radiate here.

Kano replied, "I ordered a twin size bed for Aria that should arrive sometime later today. I paid extra for onsite assembly, I hope that's alright?" Those delivery men would be other members of the Twelve, Aria wanted them to get a good look at the place, learn the lay of the land. They were all going to be living here in town except for Kano, he would have important business elsewhere.

Keitaro nodded, "I could have put it together for her, but that's fine. If she buys any other furniture I'll gladly help her with it, that's what I'm here for."

Kano slapped him on the shoulder again, "The missus and I will feel better knowing a strong, reliable young man will be here watching over our little girl while we're gone." Keitaro blushed, scratched the back of his head and thanked him profusely.

"Keitaro...strong and reliable?" Aria heard Naru whisper to Motoko, who seemed to nod in agreement. It seemed she was right about that Naru girl, some attitude adjustment will be in order soon.

"So, Aria," Keitaro turned to her. "What do you think?" He gestured toward her room. Aria crossed the threshold, past the sliding shoji doors. She felt something, the moment she pushed her senses out to determine was it was it vanished.

She did a cute twirl for effect. "It's so cozy," she said innocently. "I think I'll like it here father." Kano gently patted her on the head.

"I'm glad you like it," he said.

Kano turned to Keitaro and put on what Aria thought was a very believable mask of sadness. "I wish I had more time to say goodbye to my daughter," he said. "But, the misses and I have a very limited timetable."

Keitaro smile apologetically, "I completely understand Mr. Tenkawa, I hope you and your wife have a safe flight and don't worry about Aria we'll take good care of her."

Kano bowed, "Thank you so much." Still playing her role, Aria took his hand and tried to look sad but not too sad. She didn't want to make a scene.

"I have just enough time to have a few words with Aria before I have to go," Keitaro lead them back downstairs to the lobby. Aria continued to hold Kano's hand until they were outside in front of the main steps. She could see tears welling up in the man's eyes and so she gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"It was so good to see his face again," the big man was on the verge of sobbing.

"Dear sweet noble Kano," Aria said to him. As if compelled to do so, the big man knelt down so his face could be level with hers.

Aria touched the sides of his face, then leaned in and gave both cheeks a gentle kiss. "I send you off with my blessing," she told him. "Tell the others to await word from me. Your long wait is almost at an end, so don't cry dear one but rejoice."

"Yes, most holy one." Kano bowed his head in deep reverence.

"Now, it is time for us to part, when we meet again he will be among us at last." these words made him smile. Aria giggled and kissed him again.

"I'll let them know," Kano replied, then all for a show he reached out and gave Aria a gentle hug. After that, he stood and started down the stairs to the street below. Aria returned to the inn where everyone was waiting in the lobby.

The young girl named Shinobu walked up to her, "Aria, would you like a tour? This is a big place so there are lots to see."

"Ok," she replied excited, and she and the young girl began their tour walking hand in hand with Kaolla following along behind them.

Later that night, Aria finished making the bed which had arrived an hour after Kano left. It wasn't anything fancy, she would have been happy with just a futon mat. The sun had already dipped below the mountains and she could hear life in Hinata-sou winding down for the night. Eventually, everyone came by her door to wish her a good night. Naru and Motoko stayed a for a bit to talk to her. They weren't bad people they just a strange opinion of Keitaro, especially Naru. Aria decided to explore why that was another time. It was getting late, Motoko had school and Naru had to be up for another study session in the morning.

Laying in her bed with the lights off, Aria finally allowed her senses to stretch out into the room. There was definitely something very mystical about this place. It was practically wreaking with magic, and there was something else. Something on the edge of her current perception, it was dark whatever it was.

Her concentration was broken by a sound in the room. Lying still, she listened, someone opened her door and she could hear footsteps on the tatami mats. The air in the room became cold, she could see her breath in light of the moon shining through her window. That's when she saw it, a vaguely humanoid form standing in the corner. It stepped forward into the light, it was a woman but not one of the residents Aria had met. She wore a kimono and her skin was pale. The woman stopped walking when she came just next to the bed.

Aria looked up at her. Now that she could see the woman clearly Aria noted that she was very beautiful. Her hair was done up in a traditional bun style that went out of fashion years ago except for during festivals. The woman turned her head to look down at her and she and Aria locked eyes for a moment.

Then, suddenly, the woman's eyes became black pits and her mouth opened wider than was physically possible revealing rows of sharp teeth. Aria sat up and calmly spoke one word.

"Begone."

The apparition wailed a piercing scream as it's form was torn apart by a fierce wind that only it could feel and when it finally blew away there was a thunderous hollow roar. It came from somewhere deep within the inn. Moments later, Aria head shouting and the sound of sliding doors slamming. Her door opened and Keitaro, Naru, and Mokoto armed with a wooden katana came rushing in.

"What was that sound, Aria are you ok?" Naru asked her.

Aria smiled innocently, "I'm ok."

"I'll go downstairs and make sure all the doors are locked," Keitaro turn and left quickly. Motoko hurried after him.

"I will come with you," she said firmly. "We may have an intruder."

"You've got a bigger problem than that," Aria whispered to herself.

"What was that, sweetie?" Naru asked she must have good hearing.

Aria just smiled, "I hope it isn't a burglar."

"Doubt it sugar," Kitsune said at the door. "Last time someone came in her Motoko chased him around the place with her sword for an hour until the cops showed up. After that, we haven't had any more trouble like that."

"That sound was like a scream and then thunder," Naru said. "What was it?"

Kitsune just shrugged, "Considering everything that's been going on around here, your guess is as good as mine sugar."

What was it, indeed, Aria thought to herself. There was definitely something in this house, something that wasn't friendly. She was going to have to do something about it soon rather than later. But, that would have to wait until morning. As the excitement wound down, everyone wished Aria a good night then wandered off to their own rooms again. Aria laid in her bed with her senses once again reaching out into the room. Something was definitely in this place, and whatever it was just now woke up.

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To be continued...


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